In Space, No One Can Hear You Gentrify Part 4: Arise, Yellowshift, Arise
Workshop - Darkmount - Polyhex White cement tile floors complete with floor drains mark this room as a maintenance space even before you see all the machine tools. Toolchests and workbenches are mounted on the walls, with the center of the room left open for access to the lifts and hoists. Air hoses for pneumatic tools hang in reels from the ceiling, easily accessable from any part of the room, and at several points along the rear wall there are connections for fuel, coolant and welding gas hoses. In one of the Decepticon's most top secret labs, created specifically for one of their most sensitive projects, the future of the war is being determined. Down the hall from this lab, into the elevator, up 7 floors and a right past the energon vending machine, Bonecrusher is being turned into a space capable bulldozer. The Decepticon surgeon known as Yellowshift is prepping the Constructicon for Harrow, who has been placed in charge of the project. Harrow is perched on the upper deck, fingers tapping on the railing as she surveys the project. "This is absolutely ridiculous," she murmurs to herself. "But if we're going to do it," she continues lifting her voice to the medics gather, "We're going to do it with precision and grace. Yellowshift, I trust you've taken care of the internal mechanisms and software for this frivolous upgrade!" she snaps. "Bring in the jet engines!" Yellowshift offers a snappy and crisp salute. "Yes Commander!" He marches to the blast doors, taps a com button, and bellows: "BRING IN THE JET ENGINES!" Klaxons go off. Fog and mist bellow from the slowing opening blast doors and several lab techs accompany Bonecrusher's upgrade components, which are driven in by three flatbed Transportacons. Yellowshift taps another button, and the appropriate music blares through the loudspeakers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EwBTQhl3Y <'Decepticon'> Yellowshift shouts, "ENGAGE APPROPRIATE UNDERSCORING FOR OPERATION: ASTRODOZER! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8EwBTQhl3Y" Harrow does not look impressed by the flair at all. "THIS IS SURGERY," she shrieks. "Did Swindle put you up to this, Yellowshift!? Was it one of the 'Shifts?" She hurls a heavy cog at him. "SILENCE THE RACKET and get to WORK!" Springing from the rails, she alights atop the dozer canopy and pulls the big industrial tools from the ceiling. "Make certain he is out cold. I don't want him waking up during this." Yellowshift looks shattered by this order, but follows it to the letter, hitting 'stop' on the console. Several Cons are caught humming along, awkwardly tapering off. One of the Transportacons transforms once afterburners have been unloaded from his back. "He's out, Commander." He kicks Bonecrusher in the canopy to further reassure Harrow. <'Decepticon'> Yellowshift shouts, "ABORT APPROPRIATE UNDERSCORING FOR OPERATION: ASTRODOZER!" <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "STOP SCREAMING!" <'Decepticon'> Yellowshift shouts, "AT ONCE, COMMANDER!" <'Decepticon'> Onslaught says, "Well. That does not sound promising at all. Not to mention that is a terrible name for an operation." Harrow sneers at the kick test. But the kick test never fails. "Very well. Medics, begin. I'll be taking care of the dozer blade." She has apparently been looking forward to the hack and slash bits. Situating herself in the front, she takes her trusty scalpel and slashes the blade cleanly down the middle, then sets to work angling panels and the servos within to be more aerodynamic. It's hardly a nosecone though. "Ugh." The team goes to work, installing Bonecrusher's reentry afterburners and docking magnets. Yellowshift points to the Transportacon that oversaw the kick test. "Ten-Force, bring in the Coreolis Turbo Laser harness." <'Decepticon'> Yellowshift mutters, "...is not." Harrow is elbow deep in innards when the lasers are called in. She yanks her energon-coated arms out and rushes over. "I'll be handling that! It's too advanced for you! ...Go clean the treads. I think I saw a rip." She takes the harness from Ten-Force and vaults back up to the canopy, almost giddy about installing this bit. This might not be such a terrible idea after all. But then she remembers that it's Bonecrusher, not some elite seeker. Through a control console plugged into a myriad of wires from the dozer's internals, she moves the swiveling barrels around... and levels them on Yellowshift. There's enough 'Shifts anyhow. <'Decepticon'> Harrow says, "I hope you are receiving treatment, Onslaught." <'Decepticon'> Onslaught says, "The injuries I've sustained are nothing compared to the pain the Empire must be feeling. I assure everyone that the moment I am fully operational, I will find and dispatch of this 'Overlord' with unrelenting fury and violent abandon. He will not a threat to Lord Galvatron or the Decepticon Empire for long." Yellowshift has been thinking all day about how working on this project will advance his standing in the Empire. He may even finally get permanantly recalled from his secret hiding spot in Tarn! He might even become as important as Redshift and Blueshift! He makes a sad, disappointed face at Harrow when she points space lasers at him. "I...implore you to reconsider, Commander." Harrow mutters. All of this recent chipping at her icy heart is making her soft. But not completely soft. She swivels the lasers towards Ten-Force. "That is SLOPPY WIRING!" -PEW- Hopefully it won't /kill/ him. Looking pleased, she finishes up mounting the weaponry and slides off the dozer. Bonecrusher is just slathered in energon. "If you want to continue to live, Yellowshift, those jet engines better be secured within ten minutes! They don't pay us by the hour!" Ten-Force dies horribly, orange soul smoke pouring out of his blank optics as he hits the ground. Yellowshift salutes, excited about his second chance at life. "They'll be secured in five, Commander!" And he gets right on it. Harrow will start to notice that Yellowshift is actually a very promising Decepticon and it makes no sense that he lives in a small cave while Blueshift still functions. "Clean that up," Harrow orders a drone, pointing to the heap of Ten-Force. Eventually she steps back to survey the team's work, folding her arms. "Not terribly. Looks like he could /actually/ fly. Not as well as a seeker, mind you." Dusting her hands, which results in energon spattering everyone nearby, she nods firmly, "Let him heal for a day, and then we'll see about a test flight. Yellowshift! You are to be present." Yellowshift salutes as a drone drags Ten-Force away. "It would be an honor, Commander. Should we reactivate him?" "Fine. But be ready to take him down should he go on a rampage," says Harrow. Yellowshift nods, and pulls a lever. Sweet looking 80's neon purple grids begin washing over Bonecrusher, until finally he transforms into his robot mode and stands. "I'm...feeling different, yeah, but also the same. It's like a riddle. One that my brain has to solve...." BONECRUSHER transforms into his CONSTRUCTICON BRUISER mode! "Save your processing for killing, not solving riddles. You can't go on the field until I deem you able, got it? If I hear of you misusing this new mode... Well, I'll be most unkind!" She doesn't have too many threats nowadays. Bonecrusher nods after a moment, still rather fuzzy. "Gotta follow the doctor's orders, yeeeah, gotta get that prescription feeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiled, do I dig it? Yes I do dig it indeed, and I accept it, too..." Bonecrusher poses dramatically for a freezeframe. TO BE CONTINUED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ags-AmerNak